Letter writer defends Buckeye Lake council

Shame on Buckeye Lake smear campaign

I want to comment on your article regarding council members deny drinking at the (Buckeye Lake) meeting.

I have known Kitty Zwissler for several years. I know her character, morals, personal and work ethics. She is a hardworking professional that only wants the best for Buckeye Lake. She works continuously to make Buckeye Lake a better place. She has gone after grants to help the community, as well as works tirelessly to help people within the village.

Under no circumstances would she attempt to drink at a work or a council meeting.

This is an attempt to demean Kitty and Tom publicly and the Mayor should not let this type of defamation of character go on. I hope that in the future the Buckeye Lake residents questioning this ordeal will stop making Buckeye Lake look like the Harper Valley PTA. Smear campaigns should not be part of the agenda in the village. Working together gets better results.

Trudy Craig
Millersport

Chamber opposes Issue 1

Ohio residents will have the opportunity to vote November 6 on State Issue 1 – a constitutional amendment that would reduce drug penalties and jail sentencing terms.

Recently, the Licking County Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee researched the issue with input from local judges, Licking County Prosecutor’s Office and Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. The committee took their findings and recommendation to the Chamber Board of Directors, who voted to endorse a “No” vote on State Issue 1.

Why is State Issue 1 a bad move for Ohio? While promising to solve overcrowding in jails and prisons and get many current offenders out of the criminal justice system, it would, in fact, release about one-fourth of the prison population. Some of those released early could be violent and dangerous offenders held for felonious assault, terrorism, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and other reasons. Drug offenses that are currently felonies would become misdemeanors for which incarceration would not be allowed. Possession of 19 grams of fentanyl (enough to kill 10,000 people) would become a misdemeanor with no possibility of jail time. These mandates would be codified state law, because of this constitutional amendment; judges would be stripped of the right to evaluate and apply sentences they deem appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

The legislature has the duty and responsibility to pass criminal laws. Issue 1 does not belong in the constitution where it could only be corrected by another constitutional amendment and ties the hands of our local judges.

Please consider voting “no” on Issue 1.

Jennifer McDonald
President & CEO, Licking County Chamber of Commerce

Miller deserved endorsement

I am writing in response to the editorial board’s endorsement of Jay Hottinger for state senate. The board justifies its in endorsement by “question[ing] the political reality” of the policies advocated by his opponent, Melinda Miller. Miller advocates for raising the minimum wage and creating a tax system that benefits low- and middle-income Ohioans instead of the wealthiest.

Right now, lower income Ohioans pay more of their income in taxes than wealthier Ohioans. The bottom 20 percent of earners pay 12 percent of their income in taxes, including income and sales tax, while the wealthiest 1 percent pay 6 percent, according to Policy Matters Ohio. That tax policy is backwards, and it is a result of tax breaks for the wealthy supported by Hottinger and his Republican colleagues since 2005. They have reduced income taxes on the wealthy and raised sales taxes. Sales taxes hurt low- and middle-income people.

The board is right: if Republicans retain control of the state legislature, raising the minimum wage and creating a fair tax system will not be politically realistic. That is precisely why Licking County voters should elect Democrats like Melinda Miller to the state legislature this November. We need to change a political reality that puts money into the pockets of the wealthy while hurting hard working Ohioans.

Regina Martin
Granville

Vote No on Granville levy

Granville’s school leaders want voters to approve a school district income tax of $4.5 million. How exactly will the school system use our tax dollars?

I have always voted in favor of school levies; however, in light of recent tax increases and the rising amount spent per pupil, it is time for the school system to use our tax dollars more wisely instead of campaigning for more.

Cost per pupil spending in the Granville school system has mushroomed over the past six years at a rate that is triple the rate of inflation. During 2016-2017, with an average daily enrollment of 2,399, Granville schools spent $11,030 to educate each child. In 2012-2013, with an average daily enrollment of 2509, $8,267 was spent per pupil, while the school system still maintained an “A” on the Performance Index on the Ohio School Report Cards. (See reportcardstorage.education.ohio.gov).

For many Granville residents, the school income tax would be on top of substantial property tax increases. Many of us have seen our property taxes jump by 10 to 30 percent or more. The school district income tax would take a chunk out of wages, dividends, interest income, pensions and retirement plans.

I would like to see the school system – with the help of a “Blue Ribbon Panel” of Granville business leaders and interested individuals – conduct a thorough review of its budget, with an eye toward becoming more cost efficient. In the meantime, I will vote no on the school income tax issue.

Maggie Barno
Granville

Granville Scores Poorly in Financial Performance

The Ohio Department of Education has awarded Granville schools yet another “A” academic performance rating. This rating, however, is only one component of Ohio’s school district performance evaluation. Another, which Granville officials never mention, is financial performance, the relationship between what a district spends and what it obtains in education outcomes.

If the state assigned a letter grade to our school district’s financial performance, it probably would be a “D” or “F.” When it compared Granville to 20 similar districts, we ranked only 12th in financial performance. Like Granville, all these districts have academic performance indexes of about 100 or above, but several accomplish this with thousands lower per pupil operating expenditures. Nearby New Albany’s “A” is achieved at $10,284 per pupil--$1,000 less than Granville. Springboro earns an “A” while spending only $7,619 per pupil--$3,500 less than Granville.

It was not always this way. Between 2003 and 2013, Granville achieved superior educational outcomes with operating expenditures very close to the state average. Since 2013, however, Granville’s per pupil operating expenditures have exploded, stepping up from just over $8,267 to $11,621 in 2018 -- a 36 percent increase in only six years — growth three times the rate of inflation and far greater than the income growth of most Granville residents.

The time has come not for a school district income tax, but a thorough scrub of Granville’s school budget. Other districts prove that quality education is possible without our runaway spending.

Jeff Danby
Granville

More tax cuts needed

It's undeniable that our economy is booming. In July alone, Ohio added 7,600 jobs. Ohio has more than 945,000 small businesses and with the new tax relief measures, many of these businesses have offered bonuses and used the financial relief to reinvest in their community.

However, these good times are not guaranteed to last because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is set to expire in 2025. Luckily, Tax Cuts 2.0 has already been proposed in Congress and will make many of the tax cut measures that apply to small businesses and individuals permanent.

With less than 50 days until the midterm elections, it’s time for Ohioans to start thinking about who they will vote for in November. Voting for candidates who will support a second round of tax cuts — thereby supporting small business owners and workers — is one way voters can support their community this November.

Thomas Zaino, former Ohio tax commissioner
Blacklick

Election letter deadline

All election letters must be 250 words or less for consideration. All election letters must be received by Oct. 24 for a chance to be published.